The Montana Conservationist March 7

Greetings, readers! Have you successfully shoveled your way to your computer desk? A hearty congratulations to you! Now take a little break, and check out what’s in the Montana Conservationist this week:

Rebecca Knapp, the District Conservationist in Carter County, recently received NRCS’s highest honor in her profession. Read all about her career and the work she’s done for conservation in Carter County. Congrats, Rebecca!

And in other NRCS news, Montana is taking a “focused approach” to conservation initiatives. Each county will leverage local working groups to develop a focus for targeted EQIP projects. Conservation Districts can play a big role in this by helping the lead the local working groups.

The Agricultural Research Service has uncovered new information about how varroa mites harm honey bees, and that information will be helpful in the future in developing ways to control the pests.

On Pasture has a series of videos from Canadian producers on how to continue grazing, even through extreme snow and cold. The topic seemed appropriate for our recent weather trends.

The Williston Herald reports on the MonDak trade show, and the troubling trend of soil acidification that has been showing up in the region.

Christian Science Monitor has an interesting article on American prairies, including recent efforts to conserve and restore them.

Two bills aimed at Montana’s budding hemp industry have passed the Montana Senate and are making their way to the House after the legislative break.

The Ravalli Republic reports on an awesome Bitterroot Water Forum kid’s education program.

And finally, a Montana researcher has created a simple map that shows which watersheds in the Upper Missouri Headwaters region are most likely to store snow late into the summer, helping watershed managers target areas for conservation. It’s a lot more complicated than it sounds – she pinpointed high elevation areas with a slope between 15 and 30 degrees (less means more solar radiation & thus more melt; more means avalanches), and an area solar radiation tool to pinpoint which areas should theoretically hold snow the longest. Then she spent five years collecting flow data from the small streams in the watersheds to confirm her theory.

All of that, plus grants, events, jobs, and $11,000 in scholarships for high school and college students in The Montana Conservationist this week: TMC 2019-03-07

Kate is the Communications and Technology Manager for Soil & Water Conservation Districts of Montana. She manages the website, puts out The Montana Conservationist every other week, and assists conservation districts with technology, websites, and communications.